Swans swoop on a bruised Peel

A gripping match left Swan Districts reining victorious over Peel Thunder this weekend at Steel Blue Oval. 

Photo by Dana Jolliffe, 22^nd August, 2020. Curtin University.

Through the first 3 quarters Peel kept it close and competitive but Swans buoyed by their parochial home crowd ran over the top of the Thunder in the fourth running out 29-point victors, winning 9.8 (62) to 4.9 (33). 

Right from the opening bounce, Peel showed great pressure and resilience with 19 first quarter tackles, with Josh Bootsma and Ben Hancock repelling numerous forward entries.

Lachlan Cullen started off the match with some great plays. With a couple of early spoils and a well-read intercept, he was a key in the lead up to the opening goal of the game kicked by Thunder veteran Hayden Ballantyne.

However, Peel’s momentum was soon rattled through Swans ability in forcing turnovers and hitting the scoreboard in transition. George Hampson was key all over the ground and in the clinches but was also a large presence in their forward half, finishing with 2 goals for the game before being forced from the ground through injury.

The Thunder had injury concerns of their own, with Jordan Boullineau sustaining a heavy knock to the head early in the opening term and James Ewing leaving the field with a groin injury in the second term.

Peel captain Ben Howlett, moved down back to cover for the injured players and said after the weekend, “Jordan looks like he suffered a pretty nasty concussion so we might miss him for a few weeks.”

“The guys going down early didn’t help us. We were down to 2 on the bench”, he said.

Continuing a recent trend, the Thunder maintained their consistently high tackle pressure and aggression throughout the game, with 69 tackles to the Swans’ 42. Ben Howlett once again led the way with 7, Brad McGowan and Ben Middleton matching the Thunder captain with 7 tackles each, both career highs.

Tackles and intensity at the contest has been a real focus for the Thunder in recent weeks and has seen a rise in performance and ability to stay in games for longer. 

Photo by Dana Jolliffe, 22^nd August, 2020. Curtin University.

Trailing by 2 goals at the half, the Thunder managed to keep the ball in their forward half for much of the third term. A goal through Ben Hancock at the 14-minute mark of the term actually saw Peel take the lead, unfortunately though the Thunder couldn't take full value of their 10 Inside-50's for the quarter, only managing a measly 2.5 return letting some valuable chances go begging. Swans took full advantage of the wayward kicking responding with the final 2 goals of the quarter, taking a 9-point lead into the final term.

Despite the shortcomings in from of goal, Coach Cam Shepherd at 3-Quarter Time suggested he was impressed by the player’s strength and pressure throughout the game.

He said, “I’m really proud of the high pressure in the front half…[Swans] look jittery when the pressure is on”. 

The coach’s goal for the last quarter was to improve speed of turn-overs, and increase effectiveness in the front half. 

He said, “run out the game… surprise the opponent” and “finish the job”. 

In a tight final term, the Thunder managed to maintain their tackle pressure with 20 Tackles to 13 for the quarter, but they just couldn't translate that into scoreboard pressure. Swans' Jacob Sideris put through the first goal for the term at the 14-minute mark, before Joshua Cipro kicked one soon after to put the game beyond doubt, chalking up their first victory for the season 9.8 (62) to 4.9 (33).

Despite the disappointing loss, Ben Howlett said he was proud of the way the team played.

“I thought we stood up as a young group.” 

“We have been improving each week and the guys took another step today in their development”, he said. 

Peel Thunder take on South Fremantle in Round 7 at David Grays Arena next Saturday afternoon.

League Final:

PEEL BEST: B. Hancock, M. Randall, B. Howlett, J. Merrett, J. Sears, J. Bootsma

PEEL GOALS: H. Ballantyne, M. Randall, B. Hancock and J. Sears.